Mountain Springs Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Mountain Springs Hotel
|
|
The hotel before being demolished.
|
|
 Location in Pennsylvania
|
|
| Location | 320 East Main Street, Ephrata, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Built | 1848 |
| Architect | Joseph Konigmacher |
| Architectural style | Mid 19th Century Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003791 |
| Added to NRHP | March 2, 1982 |
The Mountain Springs Hotel was once a famous building in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. It was first built in 1848 as a fancy summer resort. People came to enjoy its natural spring water. Many important guests, including several Presidents, stayed there.
Later, the resort became less popular. In 1937, it was turned into the first hospital in the Ephrata area. It served the community until 1949. After that, the building became old and worn out. Most of the Mountain Springs Hotel was taken down in 2004. Today, a Hampton Inn hotel and an Applebee's restaurant stand on the site. A small part of the original building was saved and restored.
A Popular Resort and Spa
In 1848, a man named Joseph Konigmacher built the Konigmacher Mansion. He was a state Senator for the area. He turned the mansion into a summer resort. It was located on the edge of Ephrata Ridge, above the town.
There was a natural mineral spring at this spot. This spring helped create a famous spa. By 1860, the resort had grown into a huge 400-room hotel. It even had a 60-foot (18 m) tall observatory!
Senator Konigmacher made the resort a popular place to visit. People from Philadelphia, New York City, and Baltimore came to stay. Famous guests included Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and James Buchanan. A trolley line connected the resort to the town's train station.
After Joseph Konigmacher passed away in 1861, the hotel kept running. But it closed in the early 1900s. Mr. D. S. Von Nieda was its last owner.
From Hotel to Hospital
In the 1930s, a spiritualist group called Camp Silver Belle bought the Mountain Springs Hotel. The hotel had been closed for about 30 years. It was in very bad shape.
For a long time, people in the area wanted a local hospital. The closest hospitals were in Lancaster. On June 20, 1937, Camp Silver Belle announced they would open a hospital. It would be called the Stephan Memorial Hospital. It was named after Mr. and Mrs. John Stephan, who had helped the group.
The new hospital was a non-profit group. This meant it didn't aim to make money. It was supervised by Mr. Henry Munch and his wife. The hospital had 16 beds and offered many services. These included surgery and x-rays. The local American Legion Post 429 even provided an ambulance.
By 1943, the hospital needed to be bigger and better. So, they started raising money for a new building. In 1947, a new location was chosen on Martin Street. Construction began that year. The new hospital opened its doors on November 6, 1949. The first patient moved in the next day.
Years of Disrepair
The Mountain Springs Hotel site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 2, 1982. This meant it was recognized as an important historical place.
However, the hotel building itself was completely closed in 1988. After the new Ephrata Community Hospital opened, the old Mountain Springs building fell apart. It became known as the "haunted house" by local children. In 1991, everything inside the hotel was sold at an auction.
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, many ideas were suggested for the property. But none of them worked out.
A New Hotel for Today
In December 1999, a local group called the Ephrata Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) bought the property. The community wanted a new hotel on the site. They hoped it would help bring new life to the downtown area.
The EEDC worked to get grants to build a new hotel. In 2004, most of the old Mountain Springs Hotel was torn down. Only a part of the original Konigmacher mansion was saved. The land was cleared to make way for a new Hampton Inn hotel and an Applebee's restaurant. The remaining part of the old building was fixed up. The new hotel opened in 2005.
